I was surprised to see this tweet recently from old rights activist Julian Burnside:
Surely he knows that the Uluru Statement contains this?:
We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.
Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle. It captures
our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better
future for our children based on justice and self-determination.We seek a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between
governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history.
And everyone is calling the "agreements between governments" treaties:
The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for Voice, Treaty and Truth. These aspirations are intended as a sequence of reforms, that advance towards a just settlement with First Peoples.
The federal government is committed to holding a referendum later this year to put an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution. The government has also agreed to implement the Uluru Statement “in full”.
Following the referendum, it’s expected attention will shift towards a Makarrata Commission to “work on a national process of treaty-making and truth-telling”. In fact, reports suggest the government might move even faster.
I did say on my last post on the topic of the Voice that I reckon advocates don't actually want people reminded that the Uluru statement clearly sets out that the Voice is just the start of a long process. But I didn't expect someone like Burnside to be (pretty much) actively denying it...
The Treaty, the Truth Telling, and pay the rent. At some point Australians are going to turn on the activists. Their real goal isn't to be part of Australia but to be above the average Australian, to demand recompense so no indigenous person will have to work for a living; and demand to be recognized as the true owners of the country. Have a look at what is happening with that ridiculous Heritage Act in WA. It is the worst possible advertisement for the Voice so I hope it gets more press.
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